Ray Crawford was an American fighter ace, test pilot, race-car driver and businessman.
12 Facts About Ray Crawford
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Ray Crawford was tied as the top-ranking fighter ace of the 97th Fighter Squadron with six enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed and one probably destroyed.
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At war's end Ray Crawford was evaluating the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star at Burbank, California and was to have flown the very aircraft that fighter ace Richard Bong was eventually killed in.
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Ray Crawford was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with fourteen Oak Leaf Clusters before separating from active duty as a Captain in February, 1946.
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Ray Crawford remained in the Air Force Reserves until April 1953.
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Ray Crawford was introduced to racing by Sam Hanks, a former high school classmate, and competed notably with unlimited hydroplanes and automobiles.
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Ray Crawford finished 7th and 4th in the invitational "Race of Two Worlds" events held at Monza Autodrome, Italy in 1957 and 1958, respectively.
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In 1955, Ray Crawford drove a Lincoln-Kurtis sports car at the 12 Hours of Sebring and finished the race in thirteenth position after running the entire length without a co-driver.
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The only exception came in 1956, when Ray Crawford raced the 12 Hours of Sebring for Chevrolet's inaugural Corvette team.
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Ray Crawford provided Thompson with his first exposure to the Indianapolis 500 as a member of his pit crew.
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Ray Crawford died in Los Angeles, California on February 1,1996 after battling Alzheimer's disease and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside California.
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Ray Crawford is the subject of a 2015 biography by Andrew Layton titled Ray Crawford - Speed Merchant.